


Universe Things

by mariadperiad20



Series: ATLA Adventures [4]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang's a wise dude, Bonding, Conversations, Light Angst, Sweet, Theme of Childhood, Zuko and Aang friendship, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, hehe i love that tag, when he's serious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:01:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24836566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariadperiad20/pseuds/mariadperiad20
Summary: Great. His first time trying to truly help the Avatar, and they were going to die in the least productive way possible. Zuko really had to give the universe a hand - spending his entire life thinking his destiny was to rule as Firelord, and now that he finally realized it was to help Aang… the universe decided no, actually, die. Inglue.aka: Zuko and Aang think about their place in the universe.
Series: ATLA Adventures [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1795180
Comments: 16
Kudos: 217





	Universe Things

Great. His first time trying to truly help the Avatar, and they were going to die in the least productive way possible.

Zuko really had to give the universe a hand - his entire life thinking his destiny was to rule as Firelord, and now that he finally realized it was to help Aang… the universe decided no, actually, die. In _glue_.

“Think about our place in the universe?” Yeah, great topic. The universe had punted him around enough times that it was probably a sport at this point.

The silence stretched into eternity, the two awkwardly pinned next to each other. From enemies to wary companions to... forced association by glue.

“Hey, Zuko,” Aang said suddenly, “I’m glad you’ve joined us, and all, but… why did you? I know you said it was your destiny, but… you said your destiny was to capture me, before.”

“If you don’t trust me, then why did you agree to come out here in the first place?” Zuko asked tiredly, not bothering to put venom into his words.

Aang didn’t reply, causing Zuko to tilt his head slightly - he could just barely see Aang’s frown from where he was stuck.

“Well?”

When Aang spoke, it was… oddly distant. “I figured if you did want to try to capture me again, this would be your chance. And I’d be able to stop you.”

“That’s stupid.” Zuko frowned, “You’d be more successful at stopping me with all of your team.”

“I said stop you. Not kill you.”

“Ah.” Zuko wasn’t sure how to respond to that, “Well, that’s reasonable.”

The pair fell back into silence, neither really sure what else to say. Zuko wished his hands were free, if only so that he could fiddle with something. Aang’s fingers were tapping on the bars, and Zuko found the rhythm oddly relaxing - it reminded him of something he couldn’t quite put a name to, some half-memory buried away and faded into a vague feeling of comfort.

“What is that?” He asked, “The tune you’re making.”

“Oh.” Aang frowned, fingers stopping. “I… I don’t know. It’s not anything.”

“It was something, I… recognized it, somehow.” Zuko felt a scowl beginning to form, “It’s not nothing.”

“I don’t know!” Aang replied, “I don’t- I don’t even remember what it was. I think..." He frowned, concentrating, "I think it's something a past me used to know.”

Zuko gritted his teeth, deciding it was in his best interest not to keep pushing the topic. Still, he felt a strange sense of longing, as if he had lost something he couldn't remember having.

Aang tapped his fingers, although this time more randomly. “Soooo, Zuko. About destiny. You never answered my question, from before.”

“What question?”

“About why your destiny changed. From hunting me to helping defeat the Firelord.”

Zuko would’ve crossed his arms had he been able, instead opting to just roll his eyes.

“Because I realized I had no place in the Fire Nation under the rule of my father. The honor he restored to me was not my own, and I couldn’t pretend that it was. It wasn’t honor, it was…” Zuko frowned, not sure how to explain the feeling of _wrongness_ that came with his father’s approval. “I refuse- I refuse to be a part of his mission.”

“That must have been hard for you.” Aang said gently, “To choose a different path.”

Zuko scoffed, “I was right the first time around. I should’ve stuck to my decision three years ago, I was just too stupid to recognize it until now.”

“What happened three years ago?” Aang asked.

Zuko snapped his mouth shut, teeth clicking. “That’s not important.”

“Okay.” Aang tried to shrug, “Just glad you’re here now. Although, I guess not _here_ ,” He wiggled his fingers for effect, “But in general.”

“Thanks.” Zuko muttered awkwardly - he wasn’t exactly familiar with people telling him that they were glad he was around, and wasn’t sure how to respond to it.

Zuko stared up at the stars - he had learned the important ones for nautical purposes, from when he was still hunting the Avatar. He could pinpoint Azulon’s star, which shone red and pointed to the north, as well as the Dragon constellation of the east.

Now, with nothing to do but stare at them, he couldn’t help but wonder if the stars were known as different names to the other tribes. He had to assume that the Water Tribes wouldn’t be taking their directions from a star named after the man who caused the war. If they ever got out of this, maybe he’d ask Sokka about it.

Or maybe not, actually, considering that Aang was freely admitting the others wanted to kill him.

Well, he would deserve it. He’d betrayed his way through every person he’d ever met - his father, sister, Uncle Iroh, Mai, Katara, Aang himself - so there was no reason for him to deserve existence.

Once Aang had learned how to firebend, once his father was dead and Azula was stopped… Iroh would take the throne. He had to, it was the only way the Fire Nation could heal. And then… well, Zuko thought wryly, his destiny would be complete.

There was a finite amount of usefulness he could offer, and even now the universe decided to mock him by preventing him from doing that slight amount of good. From even the slightest hint of redemption to occur.

Zuko decided that his place in the universe was somewhere under its heel. Or, perhaps, as he had previously suspected, as part of some sort of amusing torture game, like the illegal jaguardog fights that he heard rumors of in the Earth kingdom. Either way, he knew enough to recognize that the universe wanted to make him work for his destiny.

It was a good thing he didn’t mind the effort.

“Hey, do you think you can send up a fireblast? Like a flare to get help?” Aang’s voice broke him out of his thoughts.

Zuko thought for a moment. ‘I could, but… I’m not sure if this stuff is flammable or not. It risks getting us blown up.”

“Oh.”

Aang drummed his fingers again. “I could try meditating. See if I can access Avatar Roku.”

Zuko made a noise. “You can talk to him?”

“Yeah. He is a past incarnation of me, so… I should be able to. Why? Did you know him?”

“He was my grandfather.”

Aang twisted his head to stare at Zuko as much as he was able. “No way! That makes you-”

“-Don’t you dare-”

“-my grandson!” Aang’s voice was getting increasingly loud, as his excitement bled through. “Oh, I hope you remember me on grandparent’s day this year, I-”

“Cut it out, seriously.”

“What? It’s cool. We’re like, family now.”

“You don’t want to be part of my family, Aang.” Zuko snapped, “It’s a one-way ticket to me betraying you.”

“You didn’t betr-”

“Yes, I did.” Zuko wished he could smack his head against the bars. “I’ve betrayed them all. I let my mother be taken from me, I turned on my father, twice, I rejected Azula, I betrayed my Uncle- The only person who _ever_ believed that I could be good, and I betrayed him!”

“He’ll forgive you. You’re helping us now, that has to count for something. And besides,” Aang continued, as if sensing him about to refute the claim, “He’s not the only one who believes you can be good.”

“Oh? Who else possibly could? Certainly not the universe.” Zuko said the words with venom, as if he was capable of hurting the universe’s feelings.

“I do.” At Zuko’s silence, Aang continued. “I mean, you saved me from Zhao as the Blue Spirit. And, I know that when you were at the Southern Water Tribe, you could’ve killed them all. I wouldn’t have been able to stop you from doing it. But you didn’t. That counts for something.”

“Not doing bad isn’t the same as doing good.”

“Well, no, but, someone like Firelord Ozai, or Azula, or Zhao… they wouldn’t have hesitated. They’d have done it for fun. You showed that you were capable of being good. And you’re doing good now, that counts!”

“Getting the Avatar trapped in a bunch of glue, that’s doing good?” Zuko asked wryly. “I spend all this time trying to capture you, and it’s only once I actually try to help that I succeed in it.” He chuckled humorlessly, “Thirteen year old me would have had a riot.”

“Thirteen?” Aang frowned, “How old are you? I thought you were like… not young.”

“I’m sixteen!” Zuko defended, “I’m supposed to be seventeen in a couple months, assuming I’m still alive then.”

“But… I wasn’t found until this year.”

“Well, yeah. So?”

Aang was quiet for a moment. “So, why would you have been after me at thirteen? I didn’t exist, as far as you knew.”

Zuko grimaced. “It was the only choice I had. Uncle had advised that we just open a tea shop and live our lives, but I wanted… I wanted to return to the Fire Nation.”

“What-”

“But I realized what I wanted didn’t matter. I have to do what’s right. And that’s helping you defeat my father.” Zuko raised an eyebrow, “Assuming we ever get out of this, anyway.”

“Man, our places in the universe are kind of dark, huh?” Aang finally said, “At least Iroh got his tea shop.”

“Yeah, I guess he did.” Zuko said, small smile appearing, “But once this is over, he’ll be Firelord.”

“Really?” Aang asked, “He doesn’t seem like the type to be-”

“That’s because the only Firelord you know is my father. Uncle will be a good ruler, he’ll do everything right.”

“Do you think he’ll let you come home? Once he’s Firelord.”

“No.” Zuko said firmly. “I betrayed him. There’s no place for me in the Fire Nation if it’s not with his approval.”

“He might forgive you.” Aang defended, “Forgiveness is difficult, but it’s also one of the most powerful things someone can do. Your uncle Iroh is-”

“Don’t speak to what you think he is. It would be a disservice to his name.” Zuko said abruptly, “Whatever your opinion of him may be, I assure you it is too low.”

“I understand.” Aang said quietly, “He reminds me of Monk Gyatso, my airbending teacher. He was wise, and able to find humor in everything. He taught me how to use airbending as an art, not just a tool. Air scooters and making pastries, stuff that made it fun. The other monks wanted me to train, and only train. He wanted me to still have a childhood.”

“Did you?”

Aang hesitated. “I… I don’t know. I ran away, and he died. Gyatso knew how important it was, to have fun. And I refuse to lose that part of myself.” Aang took a breath, letting it out slowly. “I’m not stupid, you know. I know that… that my people are gone. That there was a genocide, that there’s no place on this world that hasn’t been touched by the war. But, I’m not going to just give up on who I am, on what I believe, on what _Gyatso_ believed. And part of that is refusing to let my hope fade, my… my sense of being me.”

“That sounds… difficult.” Zuko said slowly, not sure what to say. Aang, who was always so peppy - sometimes to the point of obliviousness - seemed all too sharply aware of the universe.

“I’m not going to pretend that it’s the easiest path. But it’s the path worth taking,” Aang said. “It’s never too late for you to take that path, too.”

“My childhood is dead and buried.” Zuko said, voice hollow, “It was slain by the war. I can’t resurrect it any more than you can your Monk.”

“Gyatso lives on, in my knowledge.” Aang shrugged, “He’s still here, just not in the same form. Your hope is here somewhere, too. You just have to want to find it.”

“You’re too wise for your own good.” Zuko frowned, trying to break the moment’s tension. But Aang didn’t budge.

“You need to choose to reclaim it, Zuko. It hurts because it means admitting what happened to you, all the violence that you endured. But, if you choose to take it…” Aang paused, “You can do things like going penguin sledding.”

“Penguin sledding?” Zuko asked, “I’ve never heard of it.”

“Well, you’re in for a treat!” Aang grinned, before adding, “If you ever decide you want to, I’d love to show you.”

“What’s the point of it?” Zuko’s eyebrow furrowed.

“There’s no point. It’s just… fun.”

“Ah.” Zuko thought for a moment. He couldn’t remember ever doing something just for fun. Not since feeding the turtleducks with his mother, back when he was far younger. When she vanished, she took his youth with him - after that, it had been nothing but his father and, well… all of that.

“I’d like that.” He said suddenly, feeling a surge of conviction. “When the war is over, I’ll need something to do. Might as well have fun with it.”

“That’s the spirit!” Aang said cheerfully, “Maybe we can hit the beach before the war, make some sandcastles. Ooh, or ride the mailcarts in Ba Sing Se, like Bumi and I used to! Oh, or, Kuzon and I used to do this thing where we’d take a bunch of extra-spicy fireflakes and see who could eat the most - he always won, but…” Aang nattered on, excitedly listing opportunities.

Zuko’s smile slipped further and further away. All of this, it felt too much like happiness. Too much like hope.

Iroh had told him that the Avatar gave people hope.

Now that he was experiencing that hope firsthand… he was terrified.

Zuko didn’t know what to do with this newborn, fragile friendship.

It was easier when Aang didn’t trust him - a betrayal wouldn’t hurt him. But now, now, if Zuko screwed up - as he always, _always_ did - it would hurt Aang. And, Zuko realized with no small amount of concern, he cared enough about Aang that it would hurt himself, too.

Zuko wasn’t sure how much more pain he could take.

Certainly Aang couldn’t take much more, either - he would cope with Zuko’s inevitable messing up, but… he wouldn’t brush it off.

Zuko closed his eyes. The universe was punishing him again. For daring to hope, now. He wanted to laugh, but was afraid he’d just start crying.

The universe had screwed them both over. The Avatar, who was forced to let all of the people he’s ever cared for die. And him, who chose to let all of the people he’s ever cared for suffer.

Aang deserved hope. Zuko didn’t.

Zuko opened his eyes, tuning back into Aang’s ramblings - now well into a tangent of a tangent about… something to do with paper mache? He decided, in that moment, that it didn’t matter if he had hope or not - Aang had hope in him.

And for once, Zuko promised himself, for once he wouldn’t let himself screw it up.

**Author's Note:**

> i think aang and zuko have a fun dynamic, especially as friends/allies in season 3 - although the blue spirit episode showed how much they could potentially get along early on
> 
> i love comments, and i take requests for fics on my tumblr (same name)


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